Gurugram, June 19 -- An RTI query filed with the Gurugram police has revealed that 43.6% of all rape cases registered between 2020 and 2024 were linked to allegations of "false promise of marriage", which is classified as rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The data also shows that one in four rape FIRs was later cancelled by the police as false or unsubstantiated. Between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, Gurugram police registered 955 rape cases, of which 417 involved false promise of marriage, according to a reply received by activist and documentary filmmaker Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj. HT accessed a copy of the RTI response. Of the total, 236 cases were cancelled, suggesting the allegations were found to be untrue during investigation. However, police initiated legal action in only 96 of these cases, according to Bhardwaj and other activists, raising concerns over the lack of deterrence."We are seeing a pattern where consensual relationships that later sour are weaponised as rape allegations under the false promise of marriage," Bhardwaj said. Legal experts said the data calls for a dual-framework approach -one that provides robust support for survivors while also enforcing accountability in cases of proven misuse. In a memo dated June 19, 2024, the DGP, Haryana, directed all police commissioners and superintendents of police to take "necessary action against complainants who have filed multiple false rape cases," citing growing concerns about the misuse of rape laws by repeat complainants. htc...